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Northern Africa's landscape is about much more than sandy deserts -- the area's highest peak is Morocco's Toubkal mountain, rising to 13, 671 feet. Toubkal is part of the Atlas Mountain range, the only mountain range in Northern Africa. The Atlas chain extends from Morocco in the west through Algeria to Tunisia in the east, and is broken down into several sub-chains, including the High Atlas range in Morocco and the Saharan Atlas range in Algeria.

Formation

The mountains of Northern Africa were thrown up by the same tectonic activity that formed the European Alps. Immense forces within the Earth itself pushed several of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth's surface together. As the plates met, they became squeezed until eventually the pressure forced the edges of the plates upward to form mountains. Although it may seem impossible today, the Atlas chain was also once linked to the Appalachian Mountains in North America. The chains formed at the same time during the formation of the vast super-continent Pangaea between 540 and 250 million years ago. Later, when the Pacific Ocean opened, the two mountain ranges became separated.

Climate

The Atlas Mountains have a significant affect on the climate of Northern Africa. Their height traps warm, damp air from both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, encouraging rainfall in the area between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. This rainfall makes agriculture possible in the areas north of the mountains, but also contributes to the creation of the dry Sahara Desert to the south, since most of the air's moisture has fallen as rain by the time the air crosses the mountain chain. In the high Atlas Mountains, temperatures are extreme, falling as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and preserving snow on the mountain tops all year round.

Plants and Animals

Wildlife varies quite considerably throughout the Atlas range as a result of the widely differing climactic conditions. Areas of the Kroumirie in Tunisia, Er-Rif in Morocco and Kabylie range in Algeria have a higher level of rainfall and support the growth of cork oaks, cane apple trees and a variety of other plants and shrubs. Forests in areas of lower rainfall are thinner, while on the highest dry peaks vegetation is little more than a few green oak and juniper trees. The area's most famous animal resident is probably the Barbary Macaque, the only type of macaque in the wild outside Asia. The macaques live in areas of Algeria and Morocco and feed on trees and fruit, but their continued residence is threatened by deforestation.

Culture

The difficult terrain of the mountains has created a culture distinct from that of the coastal areas of Northern Africa. The Berber people live in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco and preserve their traditional way of life. The tribe herd sheep and goats, bringing their flocks to high pastures during the summer and keeping them close to villages lower in the mountains in the colder winter months. Berber culture is known for its traditional arts, including jewelry, woven carpets and leather goods.

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About the Author

Rita Kennedy is a writer and researcher based in the United Kingdom. She began writing in 2002 and her work has appeared in several academic journals including "Memory Studies," the "Journal of Historical Geography" and the "Local Historian." She holds a Ph.D. in history and an honours degree in geography from the University of Ulster.